Advocates – Page 9 – Institute for Children, Poverty & Homelessness

What Happens to Homeless Families in Redeveloped East New York?

Struggles with homelessness and poverty are not new to East New York. It is the largest feeder of families into New York City’s shelter system and one of the first neighborhoods designated for affordable housing redevelopment. This new community profile examines the impact this redevelopment may have on the neighborhood’s poorest residents. Will it prevent more families from becoming homeless or are these “affordable units” out of reach for the families who need them most?…

Return to shelter is a critical factor contributing to the growth of family homelessness in New York City. Among families living in shelter at any point during the last half of 2014, 84% had entered shelter for the first time prior to 2014. This trend is reflective of the focus on moving families out of the shelter system as quickly as possible, with limited attention directed towards addressing the underlying reason that each family entered shelter in the first place. In order to further the conversation about the dynamics that drive family homelessness in New York City’s communities, this report provides a geographic analysis of demographic patterns and newly-available data on family homelessness.…

Educators have long known the negative effect that housing instability can have on a child’s education, but this policy brief suggests that these effects do not end when a student is stably housed. This brief looks at the educational outcomes of homeless and formerly homeless students during the 2013–14 school year and the implications these outcomes have for education policy in New York City.…

This report reveals that low-income families in the Elmhurst/Corona section of Queens, New York, are at risk of growing housing instability in the face of gentrification, rising rents, and a rapidly vanishing affordable housing stock. Community development and gentrification often push lower income residents out of desired and affordable neighborhoods. Understanding that a potential crisis is on the doorstep, this community has a unique opportunity to manage and hopefully reduce the instability that ultimately drives many families into homelessness.…

At present, more than 12,000 families and about 23,000 children reside in New York City homeless shelters. New York City has built more affordable housing, has dispersed more rental vouchers, and has established more prevention programs than any other city in the country. So, why, after 30 years, do the number of families residing in shelters continue to grow?…

School absences are pervasive across New York City. Almost one in five New York City public school elementary students (19%) were chronically absent in SY 2013-14, missing 20 days or more of school. Worse, homeless elementary students were chronically absent at roughly twice the rate of elementary students overall. This report examines the disparities in absenteeism and its impact on educational achievement, comparing homeless students and their housed peers, regardless of family income level.…

In a single, comprehensive resource, the American Almanac of Family Homelessness identifies and analyzes key issues surrounding homelessness among families with children, examines state strategies, and illustrates the impact of public policies on family homelessness across the country.…

Homelessness is now so pervasive in New York City that it directly affects roughly one out of every 13 public school children. Over 83,000 students enrolled in city public schools in school year (SY) 2013–14 were identified as homeless. More than half of those 83,000 homeless students are living doubled up in someone else’s apartment due to loss of housing or economic hardship. This brief examines the growth in doubled-up students across the boroughs between SY 2010–11 and SY 2012–13 and the significance it has for city policies.…

The return of a policy to give some homeless families priority placement in New York City public housing has been hailed as a first step to ending family homelessness. With close to one in six families entering shelter from public housing, what impact will this policy actually have? There has been little discussion about the role of public housing as a feeder into the family shelter system. This policy brief examines the complex relationship between city policies and families entering shelter from public housing. …

As New York City becomes increasingly unaffordable and affordable housing becomes scarcer, working class communities are showing signs of vulnerability: growth in poverty, a decline in educational attainment, and overcrowding in rental units. This community profile examines the growing instability in one such community—Sunset Park, Brooklyn—which was the most overcrowded neighborhood and fourth most rent-burdened community in New York City in 2012, yet has seen few families turning to the shelter system.…

Without safe and reliable care for their children, homeless parents cannot search for or sustain employment or access the job training, education, and other services essential to resolving their homelessness. Federal and state subsidized child care, designed to support low-income families’ self-sufficiency, should be a resource for these families.…

This brief presents a case study of Philadelphia’s experience with rapidly rehousing its homeless population between 2010 and 2012. It highlights the role of data collection and analysis in effectively using rapid-rehousing programs as part of a larger, comprehensive homeless-services effort.…

Audiences: Advocates

What Happens to Homeless Families in Redeveloped East New York?

On the Map: The Dynamics of Family Homelessness in New York City

Aftershocks: The Lasting Impact of Homelessness on Student Achievement

A Neighborhood Divided: Gentrification, Poverty, and Homelessness in Elmhurst/Corona

Why New York City’s Homeless Family Policies Keep Failing

Empty Seats: The Epidemic of Absenteeism Among Homeless Elementary Students

American Almanac of Family Homelessness 2015

The Invisible Majority: Doubled-Up Students in New York City Public Schools

When a Solution Is Also Part of the Problem: The Complex Relationship between Public Housing and Family Homelessness

Past the Tipping Point? Emerging Signs of Community Vulnerability in Sunset Park

Meeting the Child Care Needs of Homeless Families: How Do States Stack Up?

Hitting the Target: A Case Study of Rapid Rehousing in Philadelphia

Latest Publications

Number of Families with Children in NYC DHS Shelter Comparison

FROM LOCAL PILOT TO NATIONAL MODEL: HomeBase at 20 Years and Its Impact on Housing Insecure Families in NYC

Family Homelessness in 2023 in New York City: A Snapshot